The stark differences in globalization, connectivity and technology between the 20th and 21st century become evident as one reads Oscar Williams’ poem titled “ A Morning in the20t hCentury”andAlbertCamus’snovel“ T hePlague”.Williamsinhispoemmentions the typical sounds that have come to represent that time. He speaks of the “spiral of dark sounds” of a train, milk bottles, horse’s hoofs and a truck. He talks about the wide reach of Europe’s “helpless hands called newspapers” and war that has “scarred the face of geography”. If he were to describe a morning in the 21st century, he would have to abandon that imagery altogether. That is because the 21st century world looks, feels and sounds very different. He would have to allude to the joys of
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Firstly, individuals across nations and continents are more connected to each other than ever before. It is only in this century that it became possible for young girls in conflict zones, like Bana Alabed and Malala Yusufzai, to share their experiences of war with the world as it is happening. Their voices are painfully reminiscent of another innocent young girl, who died in a conflict in the 20th century and is survived by her diary. Secondly, globalization now has progressed to a point where states no longer possess the stature they used to in the international arena. For several states, albeit only developing ones, the principle of sovereignty is losing its absoluteness. Thirdly, the challenges faced by the world today such as terrorism, as a result of the potency of the 21st century globalization process, cannot be faced by a state alone. Kofi Annan has categorically asserted that, “We must think afresh about how we manage our joint activities and our shared interests, since so many challenges that we confront today are beyond the reach of any state acting on its own” (84). Hence, in conclusion, the world that we live in today is remarkably different from what it was in the 20th century. We owe our progress and our degradation to the unique nature of present-day
Firstly, individuals across nations and continents are more connected to each other than ever before. It is only in this century that it became possible for young girls in conflict zones, like Bana Alabed and Malala Yusufzai, to share their experiences of war with the world as it is happening. Their voices are painfully reminiscent of another innocent young girl, who died in a conflict in the 20th century and is survived by her diary. Secondly, globalization now has progressed to a point where states no longer possess the stature they used to in the international arena. For several states, albeit only developing ones, the principle of sovereignty is losing its absoluteness. Thirdly, the challenges faced by the world today such as terrorism, as a result of the potency of the 21st century globalization process, cannot be faced by a state alone. Kofi Annan has categorically asserted that, “We must think afresh about how we manage our joint activities and our shared interests, since so many challenges that we confront today are beyond the reach of any state acting on its own” (84). Hence, in conclusion, the world that we live in today is remarkably different from what it was in the 20th century. We owe our progress and our degradation to the unique nature of present-day